Maine Newspaper requests permit holder records!!!

The Bangor Daily News has put out Freedom of Information Act requests to all the police departments state wide asking for the release of Concealed Carry Permit holders Names, addresses and dates of birth.

I was hoping to get a better copy of the letter but this was all I could manage:

I really would have thought the absurdities of the NY newspapers would have (no pun intended) set the record straight for any other groups with the same intentions. I know the BDN "claims" they wouldn't publish the private information but I doubt the likelihood of any potential truthfulness surrounding a request such as this. Luckily as told in one of the links there is a bill proposed to protect the privacy of permit holders information by keeping it confidential. I have already written emails in support of the bill and intend to write letters of disapproval to any and all contacts I can obtain for the Bangor Daily News.

For any users of Facebook there is a "Boycott Bangor Daily News Don't tread on us" page.

What should folks do about this? What are the lessons learned from the recent responses to this sort of thing?

I'd contact the Attorney General in the state and point out that the requested information is Personal Privacy Information (addresses and DOBs) and that no PPI should ever be released. Sanitized data on permit holder numbers without names, addresses, DOB or other PPI can be released, but anything possibly used to locate or identify a voter may not.

The fact that the Editor claims that they'll never release the PPI is meaningless. There is no reason that the paper needs the addresses and DOBs of the permit holders and requesting it while claiming they won't release it is suspect.

I'd also contact the Editor and remind him of how his PPI information can be spread across the internet as has been done for anyone publishing permit holder informaiton. Here's his contact information at the Bangor Daily News.

Anthony Ronzio

Director of News and New Media

Bangor Daily News

aronzio@bangordailynews.com

theautobahn

February 15, 2013, 11:26 AM

Definitely write to the paper and explain to them what a bad idea this is, and what might happen if they do (their information released). Here's some contact info: